by Staci Talan, D.C.
Parents take their children to the doctor to have their ears, eyes,
nose, teeth and every other imaginable part examined; however, many
overlook one of the most important elements of a child's growing body -
the spine. Before discussing the numerous childhood conditions that can
be helped through adjustments, it is important to address chiropractic
care and children. Many people do not realize chiropractors treat
children and the reasoning behind it. A spinal checkup could be one of
the most important examinations your child receives. Many parents still
wonder why they should take their child to a chiropractor. Beginning at
birth, a child may experience trauma or stress, even during the most
normal of births. Normal childhood activities such as jumping, running,
skipping and climbing can create spinal stress and, if not properly
alleviated, may cause serious health conditions down the road.
Parents
who bring their children into the chiropractor do so for many different
conditions; infantile colic, ear infections, asthma, allergies, falls,
headaches, bed-wetting, pains, stomach aches to name just a few. It is
important to remember that chiropractors do not treat these conditions.
We treat the subluxation, or the spinal/nerve stress, on the body.
In
simplest terms, a subluxation (a.k.a. Vertebral Subluxation) is when
one or more of the bones of your spine (vertebrae) moves out of
position, putting pressure on, or irritating, the spinal nerves. Spinal
nerves are the nerves that come out from between each of the bones in
your spine. This pressure or irritation on the nerves then causes those
nerves to malfunction and interfere with the signals traveling over
those nerves.
The nervous system is the master control system of
the body, coordinating all if its functions. Every organ, gland, muscle
and cell in the body is enervated by a nerve. That is how the brain
relays its messages to the body. If that nerve is being "pinched" by a
bone the message is distorted and the body cannot get the true message
the brain is sending it. This causes stress and ultimately can allow
disease to step in. This complex is called the vertebral subluxation
complex or more commonly referred to as a subluxation. This condition
can be painless and is often referred to as "the silent killer" in the
chiropractic community.
The goal of the chiropractor is to
illuminate subluxation and nerve stress. This allows the nervous system
to function at its highest level by allowing the message the brain
sends to the heart, lungs, kidneys, muscles, stomach, etc. to be
received uninterrupted. This allows the healing power of the body to be
unleashed. The immune system can function more efficiently. The body
resistance to disease increases. This is particularly important to the
developing child that is able to respond and fight off internal, as
well as external, environmental stresses more efficiently. 1
Many
may question the safety of chiropractic adjustment for children. In the
Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research (1998) a risk assessment of
neurological and/or vertebrobasilar complications in pediatric
chiropractic patients was conducted. The study found that in a period
from 1966 to 1977 over half a billion adjustments were delivered to
children with an injury rate of one in 250 million,2 (2) supporting the
conclusion that safety is not an issue. I myself have my son, now three
years old, examined on a regular basis. He has been checked since birth
and is a healthy vibrant child. He has not experienced most of the
childhood conditions previously touched on. The few he has encountered
are quickly remedied with an adjustment, which clears out the body so
that it can function at an optimal level and fight these conditions
off. I invite you to make an appointment for a consultation and
discover the benefits of chiropractic for children.
My column is
designed for educational purposes only. The information in this and
subsequent articles is not intended to replace the attention or advice
of a physician and/or health care professional. Any person who wishes
to pursue a course and/or prevent, treat and/or manage their or any
other person's health concerns should always first consult a qualified
health professional. None of the information or statements contained in
this article is to be used in place of medical advice from a health
care professional. Nothing in this article is meant to imply a person
should take actions toward any medical or chiropractic treatment
without the consent and/or supervision of his/her doctor and/or
specialist.
Staci Talan, D.C., I.D.E. has an office
located in Fremont. She is a graduate of Sacramento State University
where she earned a B.A. in Psychology. She continued her education at
Life Chiropractic College-West in Hayward where she earned a doctorate
in Chiropractic. She is a Certified Industrial Disability Evaluator and
is in the process of completing her provisionary status as a natural
childbirth instructor of the Bradley Method. Talan is an active member
of the California Chiropractic Association, Centerville Business
Association, Irvington Business Association and Fremont Chamber of
Commerce.
1 International Chiropractic Pediatric Association, March-April 2002 Newsletter
2 Pissolese, Richard D.C., Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research 1998 (June); 2 (2): 73-81.�